[madameshawshank]

ah! Since you've clicked on this thread, I presume you're a lover of sorrel.

Now the thing is...I've a grand crop of it. Haven't grown it for years and years.

Am thinking maybe you have a sorrel recipe you'd like to share...

Yours in sorrel:wink:
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[David]

Years ago some friends grew sorrel and made the most fabulous soup from it! Will see if I can track it down.
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Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

[Deste]

I am sorely in love with sorrel. Can't get enough of it.

I made a wonderful sorrel soup for vegetarians earlier in the year when given an abundance by a farmer on a miserably rainy day at the market and she didn't want it to go to waste. I'll try to see if I documented what I did with the stuff, though I know I made a vegetable broth first. I think it may even have been vegan, involving a little very soft rice thrown in to thicken when puréed. Lots of slowly stewed leeks, some ramps, maybe and other aliums.

Tonight I put a fish steak to bed upon sorrel that was de-ribbed then stewed in butter along with shallots until it turned to army-green mush. A little cream.

I've also stuffed little fish w sorrel en papillote, though next time I'd prepare the leaves (purée) first since you can't rely on them to dissolve into a dew unless you're doing a really big fish that takes a bit of time to cook.

Sorrel's great with eggs, of course, and potatoes. Do with that knowledge what you will, but a Spanish tortilla with sorrel's good. Savory flan--like a sformato. Baked egg w sorrel.

[madameshawshank]

¡Gracias! Prepararé sopa alazana y la tortilla.
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[Debbie]

Most of what Deste said was what I was going to say.... and the rest just sounds far too good!

The papillote sounds delicious. Haven't thought of that one.

Sorrel soup is delicious. Have made it with a potato added as thickener though, and cream at teh end after whizzing. Seem to remember it was just as good cold.

Otherwise I always cook it with fish and especially salmon.

Enjoy your bounty!
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If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.

[KYHeirloomer]

Sorrel is, unfortunately, one of the least used herbs in the U.S. Not so the rest of the world.

Sorrel soup, in numerous versions, is available all over Europe, from the creamy sorrel soups of France, to the Schav of Russia. It's great used with fish, in omelets, even stir fries. Or just mix it right in to a salad. Anywhere a lemony herb flavor is desired.

It can even sub for spinach and tarragon. Indeed, a "bernaise" sauce made with sorrel instead of tarragon, brings a whole new flavor level to any dish.

Sorrel is easy to grow. Just follow the same culturing directions you'd use for spinach. Sorrel is a self-seeding biennial, though, so watch the second year or you'll have wild sorrel all over the garden.

[KYHeirloomer]

Here is a great first course adapted from My Sicilian Cooking. Although the recipe specifies chervil (and it's wonderful made that way) you could sub sorrel very easily. Or tarragon, for that matter.

Rather than buying ring molds (which can get to be quite expensive) I cut them from appropriately sized PVC pipe in various diameters:

CHARLOTTE OF POTATOES AND SCAMPI IN HERBED TOMATO SAUCE
16 large shrimp 1 tbls butter
Large pinch Creole seasoning

Tomato sauce:

1 white onion, chopped 1 ¾ oz extra virgin olive oil
14 oz ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored and seeded, chopped
Sm bunch mixed herbs, chopped ½ cup dry white wine
1 ¾ oz fresh chervil, chopped 1 oz granulated sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Potato puree:

14 oz potatoes 1 ¾ oz butter
1 ¾ oz cream Salt

Equipment: four 4-inch ring molds

Sauce: Saute onion in oil. Add the tomatoes, herbs, wine and chervil. Continue cooking until liquid is all but evaporated, about 20 minutes. Reserve.

Potato puree: Peel the potatoes and cook in boiling water until tender. Pass through a ricer and add the butter and cream. Mix well. Add salt to taste.

Sprinkle shrimp with a little Creole seasoning. Saute in butter until cooked through, about three minutes.

Presentation: Using a ring mold to provide the form, create a disc of potatoes on each serving plate. Top with a layer of sauce. Remove mold. Arrange four shrimp on each serving.

Adapted from a recipe in Nino Graziano’s “My Sicilian Cooking.

[madameshawshank]

KYHeirloomer, before too long I'm going to follow that recipe..'n post a photo!

sounds delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[KYHeirloomer]

Please do. I don't use a digital camera, so can't post pix.

BTW, although I didn't specify, I usually butterfly the shrimp so that they stand upright with their tails in the air. Makes for a prettier presentation IMO.

[18thccuisine]

http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com/2005/01/verjus.html

http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com/2008/07/strouille-litalienne-savory-strudel.html

http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com/2008/10/julian.html

http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com/2008/04/pot-herb-pie-spring-tonic.html

Here are some 18thC recipes … enjoy.

[KYHeirloomer]

Good morrow, Madame,

>We started out as a buckskinners, <

Don't we all. Those with an interest in real history move on.

I was interested in seeing your blogs. We went in the other direction, focusing on the exploration and settlement of the trans-Allegheny country. But had developed a deep interest in the foodways of the perod. In fact, for several years I wrote a column called Historic Foodways in Smoke & Fire News.

Always good to meet a fellow traveler.

[18thccuisine]

Dear KYHeirloomer,

Where in KY are you? I was born in Murray, but grew up in Idaho, and now I'm in Michigan.

[dory]

Hi 18th Century,

I am interested in historical cooking (particularly French) and enjoyed being made aware of your blog.

Dory

[dory]

I have sorrel growing in my yard (actually, I planted it several years ago) and looking untidy by my side fence. I have never cooked with it and want to. If anyone has good recipes-- especially for sorrel soup-- I would enjoy seeing them.

Dory

[KYHeirloomer]

Dory,

Here's a simple version of Schav, a sorrel soup of eastern Europe and Russia. It's almost always served cold.

Sometimes it's referred to as green borscht.

Schav

1 tbls oil
2 onions, chopped
12 cups chicken stock
1 lb sorrel (include stems), chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions until soft. Add stock and bring to simmer. Add the sorrel, salt and pepper and simmer until sorrel is soft and olive-green in color. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth.

My folks would serve this with a dollop of sour cream and some cut up hard-boiled eggs.

You can substitute spinach, btw. But if so, add a little lemon juice to simulate the citrusy flavor of the sorrel.